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“Spring has sprung, the grass is rizz,
Tell us where the stories is!”
They’re everywhere! It’s festival season, and there are so many tales floating through the atmosphere we aren’t sure where to turn first! Isn’t it marvelous? Opportunities for listening and telling abound; check this newsletter to learn about a number of them.
The one closest to us will be Sounds of the Mountains on April 20 & 21, right outside of Roanoke. We are still looking for volunteers to assist with the resource table; please call or email me if you are coming: 804-815-2736, or will2@va.metrocast.net “Sounds” is a small but very sweet festival pulling in nationally known tellers every year. See their web page: www.soundsofthemountains.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 20, 21: Sounds of the Mountains Festival, Roanoke; VASA members Kim Weitkamp and Anthony Burcher will be telling.
June 16: General membership meeting followed by story swap; 10-2:00, Northside Library, Charlottesville.
Sept. 15: VASA, Voices in the Glen, and Telling Moments Storytelling Theatre are co-sponsoring an evening of stories entitled “The Other F words: Friendship, Fidelity, and Foolishness” at the Writer Center in Bethesda, MD.
Oct. 27: Lorton Saturday Series, all day, Lorton Workhouse Arts Center, workshops, evening concert followed by a story swap.
I hope to see you somewhere soon, April, June, September, or October. Keep reading to see where your VASA board will be celebrating the wonder of story.
Blessings to all for a delightful spring.
Donna Will/President
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Saturday Series Call for Workshops and Tellers |
 October 27, 2012
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA
The Virginia Storytelling Alliance (VASA) will be hosting our annual autumn day of storytelling workshops and an evening concert on October 27, 2012. We are seeking proposals for workshops and for tellers for the evening concert.
Workshops: Workshop length is 90 minutes. We are seeking a variety of workshops suitable for storytellers with differing levels of experience. Past attendees have ranged from those who have never attended a storytelling event before to seasoned professionals. We welcome workshops addressing all types of stories – folk tales, literary, historical, family, personal – as well as those focused on performance skills and on business-related skills for storytellers. Proposals for coaching sessions will also be considered.
Workshop proposals should include presenter contact information, workshop title, intended audience, a brief (50 word or less) synopsis of the workshop for the program, a more detailed workshop description (up to 400 words) explaining the workshop objectives and methodology, a short bio (25 words or less) for the program, and description of your relevant experience, including names and contact information for references familiar with your work.
Tellers: The evening concert will be geared to an audience of adults and children who can listen like adults. There will be three tellers, each of whom will have 25 minutes to perform. Please submit your contact information along with a description of the stories you plan to tell. If possible, include a sample recording of your storytelling.
Honorarium: All workshop presenters and tellers will receive $150 and free admission to the event.
Additional information: All workshop presenters and tellers must be members of VASA. Membership information can be found at http://vastorytelling.org/member-info
Submission: Please email proposals to Miriam Nadel at mhnadel@alum.mit.edu
Deadline: May 15, 2012. Selected workshop presenters and performers will be notified by the end of May.
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local Storytellers Concert |
 The Other F Words: Friendship, Fidelity, and Foolishness”
Saturday, September 15th, 2012
at the Writer Center in Bethesda, Maryland
Please mark your calendar.
To be considered as a featured teller, you need to do:
1. Give us a description of the story you plan to tell (title, content and what kind of story)
2. Your support materials (while a CD is not required, if you think it will strengthen your application, you are welcome to include it)
3. Your bio and references (2-3 and their contact information, where they saw you perform)
Your submission must be postmarked by April 30th, 2012
If you are a VASA member, please send it to
VASA
P.O. Box 510
Hartfield, VA 23071
Attn: Donna Will
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Second Annual UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival |
 The University of North Alabama invites you to the Second Annual UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival planned for May 17-19, 2012. We’d love for you to join us!
Featured tellers include Donald Davis, Bill Foster, Dolores Hydock, Andy Offutt Irwin, Bil Lepp, and Syd Lieberman.
The festival will kick off on Thursday, May 17, with a riverboat cruise on the Tennessee River at 11 a.m. The two-hour cruise will include lunch and entertainment by Bill Foster.
Friday and Saturday (May 18 and 19), storytelling will begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day and evening. The Memorial Amphitheatre in the heart of campus will be the setting for storytelling (in the event of inclement weather, the festival will move indoors to the Performance Center of Guillot University Center).
University food services will be open, conveniently located near the amphitheatre. The University Bookstore will have the tellers’ books, CDs, and DVDs for sale. (Autograph sessions will be held each day in the bookstore.)
Tickets for the storytelling festival are on sale now at www.una.edu/storytelling Single day tickets are $25; two-day package (which includes storytelling both Friday and Saturday) is $40. The cruise is $25. Student tickets are available for storytelling, but not for the cruise.
While you are in town for the storytelling festival, you will also want to check out Arts Alive, the juried fine arts and crafts show in Wilson Park, downtown Florence. Arts Alive will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, and Sunday, May 20. Arts Alive is free and open to the public. You can read more about Arts Alive on their website: www.artsalivealabama.com.
We had a wonderful inaugural festival last year, and we’re going to try to make it even better this year. Y’all come!
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Yankee Ingenuity |
 CD Review
Written and performed by Jo Radner
Reviewed by Linda Goodman
I became a fan of Jo Radner at the New England Modern Storytelling Festival in Windsor, Maine in 1997, when I heard her tell a story about outhouses. On that cold (thirty degrees), rainy September Saturday, I also fell in love with the people of Maine. There they stood, bare-footed and wearing shorts, listening in rapt attention to the stories being told. I was reminded of my own Appalachian kinfolk. No amount of rain or cold was going to keep them away from what they loved. Can you blame me for being thrilled when I found Yankee Ingenuity, a CD by Jo Radner about real Mainers, in my post office box?
I listened to this CD during a four hour drive home from a performance in Roanoke. I listened the entire four hours, savoring each story multiple times. They are that good!
Wimble Betty, set just after the Revolutionary War in Norway, Maine, is the story of Elizabeth “Betty” Stevens, a headstrong, smart, outrageous woman who was given her nickname after she used a wimble (hand drill) to drain a barrel of rum that was causing the men of the town to carouse a little more than their women folk could tolerate. Betty’s cohorts abandoned her once the angry men found out about the deed, leaving Betty to take the heat on her own. Mainers, it seems, never forget, but a clever peddler who stretches the truth gives Betty the opportunity to redeem herself. Pitchforks and coconuts are prominently featured in this story.
The Man Who Proved the Earth Was Flat tells about Joe Holden, the “old astronomer” who in the 1800′s proved (to his own satisfaction, at least) that the earth was flat and stationary, while the sun and moon moved. In his honor, to this very day, folks in East Otisville, Maine ( a town so stubborn it seceded from Cumberland County less than forty years ago), enjoy strawberry ice cream, peanuts, and popcorn at the Joe Holden Picnic every year on the last Sunday in August.
Lion Maker is a powerful tale that begins with a parable about three scientists who scoff at a farmer who warns them not to bring a lion back to life. As the farmer climbs a tree to safety, the resurrected lion does what lions are born to do.
This segues nicely into the story of Hiram Stevens Maxim, a boy genius who at age eleven developed the first mouse powered mousetrap. Beaten to the punch at the patent office by Thomas Edison, Maxim moves to London, where someone suggests that he develop a device to help Europeans kill one another. His responds by inventing a machine gun that fires more than 660 bullets a minute and, as a result, is knighted by an appreciative Queen Victoria. “If it had been anything but a killing machine,” Maxim attests, “nobody would have paid any attention to it.” When the English use this weapon in Sudan, more than 20,000 Sudanese are killed in a single battle. Maxim did not live to witness the devastation the gun wrought in World War I. “What lions are we making now” Radner wonders, “and where are the trees for the rest of us to climb?” I was stunned to realize that the “trees” truly are gone.
Feet First features Henry Edwards, a man who loves Hiram Walker’s Coffee flavored brandy and who has his own unique way of doing things. It takes an ornery pig with a mind of its own to make him see the light.
In Eccentricity, Radner shares humorous memories of her eccentric uncle, Horace Greeley Adams. Not until after his death does she discover that his eccentricity came at a terrible price. Instead of escaping to a place where he can be anonymous, however, he chooses to “stay where he is known.” After hearing this story, I had to pull off the road for a second time to pay silent homage to the “characters” I have known.
Stories like those included on Yankee Ingenuity are the kind of stories that made me want to become a storyteller. Everyone, especially our young people, should hear them. While it may be too late to turn back the clock, stories shared can teach hard lessons in such a way that wisdom may yet prevail.
www.joradner.com
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VASA Board Minutes |
 The VASA Board Met in February and discussed the following:
Election of a new Secretary, as Joan Swift is resigning due to many scheduling conflicts. Louise Tucciarone took minutes this meeting, and Linda Goodman volunteered to become the new secretary.
The annual Lorton Saturday Series will be held on October 27, 2012, with Miriam Nadel chairing this event. A call for tellers and presenters will be published in April.
A joint concert with Telling Moments and Voices in the Glen. (Information on this concert may be found elsewhere in this newsletter.)
VASA has a Facebook page; if you are a member please stop by and visit.
VASA Gathering, 2013: Date: March 8-10. Place to be decided. The board is looking into facilities other than those which provide room and board. Many “camp” type institutions demand a certain number of participants, and because of this fact VASA has sustained substantial financial losses in past years. Diane Edgecomb has contracted to be our keynote speaker/featured teller.
In exchange for a share of the profits, VASA has agreed to work the resource table at Sounds of the Mountains festival, April 20 & 21. Volunteers should contact Donna Will.
The VASA webpage will be updated.
A Lifetime membership of $500 was approved. The motion reads as follows: “Lifetime membership will be available at $500.00 ($25.00 x 20 years), which can be made in two annual installments of $250.00 each.”
A tentative date of May 5th was agreed upon for the general membership meeting; business portion to be held in the morning with a story swap in the afternoon. The most important agenda item for this meeting would be the election of new board members. It was suggested the Northside Library in Charlottesville as a location. NOTE: THE MEETING DATE HAS SINCE BE CHANGED TO JUNE 16, 2012. LOCATION: NORTHSIDE LIBRARY IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
New VASA brochures have been ordered.
It was suggested that an ad for VASA appear in the NSN Conference Program.
VASA needs to have some form of recognition for members who have given much to our organization.
Future board meeting dates TBA.
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Are Your Membership Dues Due? |
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Are you tired of trying to remember whether or not your membership is up? Well, ALL membership dues are due in April; you should have just received a notice from Norris Spencer, our membership chair. But what if you had paid for two years instead of one? Are your dues due? Do you remember? Do we have a deal for you! You may now pay a Lifetime Membership of $500, which is 20 years’ worth at the current cost of $25 per year. If dues do go up, YOU are all paid up! Ok, since $500 IS a chunk of change; we’ll accept your lifetime membership in TWO “easy” annual installments of $250 each. Email Norris at vasamembership@cox.net or see the VASA website for how to do this.
www.vastorytelling.org
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Advertise on the VASA Website |
Do you have local news? Is y our guild sponsoring a concert? Are you, yourself giving a concert or participating in a festival or workshop? Send your news to Norris Spencer, vasamembership@cox.net,or to any board member, and we will post it on the website calendar. Board members: Donna Will, Louise Tucciarone, Linda Goodman, Ian Henry,
Geraldine Buckley, Miriam Nadel, Les Schaffer; contact info on website: www.vastorytelling.org
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For giving of their time, effort, and talents in the development of the Lorton Saturday Series, VASA thanks Debbie Griffin and Barbara Effron. Coordinating an event is no small task, and we appreciate all they have done to promote storytelling for VASA in our state. Thank you both, so very much!
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
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CALENDAR |
 Sat., Apr. 14-7 pm Stories That Make a Difference: Home is Where the Heart Is
a storytelling concert to benefit Avalon: A Center for Women and Children
The Weavers of the Word Storytelling Collaborative kicks off their third annual “Stories That Make a Difference” season with a concert to benefit Avalon. Avalon provides shelter and support to those experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault in the Greater Williamsburg area. By offering tools for safety, self-sufficiency, and empowerment, Avalon works to break the cycle of abuse and helps create a positive future.
Adults and school-age children will enjoy these tales of home, family and strong women. Tickets are available at no charge at any Colonial Williamsburg Ticket Office. This is a “pay what you can” event; a suggested donation of at least $7 per adult will be taken at the door. darci@americanlives.net
Sat, Apr 14-7:30 pm STORYSWAP Storytellers and listeners are invited to the home of Penelope Fleming in Annandale for an evening of shared stories and potluck snacks. Free. Email penny9@mac.com for RSVPs and directions.
Apr 20-21 Sounds of the Mountains Music & Story Festival features Kim Weitkamp, Wayne Henderson, The Wright Kids, Bobby Norfolk, Michael Reno Harrell, and Bil Lepp. Camp Bethel, off I-81 10 miles north of Roanoke. www.Soundsofthemountains.org
Apr 20-21 Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, Woodruff, SC will include the telling of Megan Hicks and Lynn Ruehlmann. www.stonesoupsc.com
Sat, Apr 21-11 am Linda Fang presents “Sweet and Sour Berries” at Centreville Library, 14200 St. Germain Rd. for ages 6 & up. 703-830-2223
April 25: Glenna Ohlms is leading a flannel board workshop for the moms (and grands) at the Nokesville Neighborhood Library. They find the old fashioned flannel board to be a magical tool for story telling and oral language development (and it’s just plain FUN for the kids.) So, we’re meeting in the church across the street from the library that day to make flannel boards and story sets, and to share ideas for the many different materials that can be used with this medium. glenna_ohlms@verizon.net
Sat, Apr 28-10 am-6 pm Southern Maryland Celtic Festival at Jefferson Patterson Park, Calvert County storytelling:
10:00 Michael Fleming, 10:45 Beth Ohlsson, 11:30 Margaret Chatham, 12:15 Mylinda Butterworth, 1:00 Ralph Chatham, 1:45 Barbara Woodey, 2:30 Geraldine Buckley, 3:15 Ming Diaz
www.cssm.org
Thurs., May 3-7:00 -9:00 pm The 606 State Street Gallery will present The Beaver Creek Storytellers, with music by Kenny & Julie Ashkettle at 606 State Street, Bristol TN. Admission: $5.00. Refreshments at intermission. The event is free to members. Ask about joining the Beaver Creek Storytellers. http://bristolstorytellers.weebly.com
Sat, May 5-7:30 pm Telling Moments Storytelling Theatre presents Robert Kikuchi Yngojo with “Pearl’s Light: Asian Tales from the Lips of Sages and Liars” at Seekers Church, 276 Carroll St, NW. $15; students/seniors $13. Reservations: www.tellingmomentstheater.com, also info on a discount for ordering both this and a Bobby Norfolk concert on October 13 if you pay be check no later than April 30.
Tue, May 8-7 pm Laura J. Bobrow hosts a session on pet tales in which the audience is invited to participate at the Cascades Library, Potomac Falls. 703-444-3228
Sat, May 12-2-3:30 pm Grandma’s Cautionary Tales told by Grandma Sally Kathryn Mims in Meeting Room 3 of Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd, SE DC, Sponsored by Anacostia Community Museum. Free. Call 202-633-4844 for reservations. www.Anacostia.si.edu
Tue, May 15-7 pm Barbara Effron’s Storytime Express presents “Nature’s Mommies” for ages 3 & up at Martha Washington Library, 6614 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria. Free, but register at www.farifaxcounty.gov/library or 703-768-6700
June 2 & 3 Folklore Society of Greater Washington’s Washington Folk Festival at Glen Echo Park will include storytelling, only 2:30-6:30, in the Puppet Company space. Fsgw.org Free, carpooling recommended. Schedule will be posted on our webpage calendar when available: www.voicesintheglen.org
June 8: The fifth graders at Nokesville Elementary School go on an overnight camping trip to Prince William Forest Park as a rite of passage from elementary to middle school. Glenna Ohlms will be doing small group sessions with the kids and their chaperones all day on Friday. It’s long, exhausting, (8 50 minute sessions with an hour for lunch with the kids) and I look forward to it each year (and feel honored and privileged to be called.) I used to be intimidated by fifth graders, but when they gather in a cabin for these sessions their eyes tell a story of their own. It’s such fun! glenna_ohlms@verizon.net
Sat, Jun 9-7:30 pm STORYSWAP Storytellers and listeners are invited to the home of Debbie Griffin in Alexandria for an evening of shared stories and potluck snacks. Free. RSVPs and directions: griffintales@aol.com Sun, Jun 10-noon-5 pm Governor’s County Fair at Morven Park in Leesburg will include the storytelling of Laura J. Bobrow. www.morvenpark.org
June 14: T. Clay Wood Elementary, has invited Glenna Ohlms to do three assemblies. glenna_ohlms@verizon.net
Sat., July 14-7pm at the Kimball Theater. The Weavers of the Word Storytelling Collaborative presents “Stories That Feed the Soul” to raise money for FISH, a Williamsburg agency that helps those in need by providing food, clothing and transportation to thousands of people in the community each year. The agency is run entirely by volunteers. Suggested donation $7. Tickets at any Colonial Williamsburg Ticket Office. darci@americanlives.net
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This is your newsletter and you make it great! Thanks!
Sincerely,
Judith Onesty
Virginia Storytelling Alliance |
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